Thank you to Galen Mook for recording last week's Charlesview meeting. Also, thanks to candidate for Mayor Kevin McCrea for speaking up at the meeting to help allow the taping to be done. In this letter to Mayor Menino, Kevin explains why the importance of having access to what is said at these meetings. I don't think the BRA takes minutes at these meetings and when major, neighborhood-changing development is at stake, we all should have an incontrovertible record of what was said by the developers, BRA, and other who support, oppose, and what to see changes to what is proposed.

For example, several neighbors have asked me what City Councilor Mark Ciommo said at the meeting. I don't think it is fair to try to recall the specifics via memory, and this is just one example of the value of the recording.

I will try to go through the video to note when particularly interesting things were said, but in the meantime you can watch the 2 hour unedited meeting below.